In recent years, the technology for video-conferencing has advanced to a level where it has become practical for office and home use. Specifically, it is now available for the average consumer to be able to have equipment in the office and home which will permit the transmission of images to a person on the receiving end of a phone line. Likewise, the person on the receiving end of the line may transmit his image to the original caller. This type of technology often involves a video-phone. The video-phone includes a camera pointed at the person engaging in the conferencing, and his image is transmitted to a display, such as a television monitor at the other person's location. It is desirable that the video-phone be easily adjusted such that the person using the conferencing equipment may move around and then easily and conveniently adjust the video-phone to focus on him.
One type of device for allowing adjustment of a video-phone includes a ball and cup design. In these types of arrangements, the video-phone has a rounded, or ball-shaped, bottom. This ball-shaped bottom rests in a cup. However, these ball and cup designs have serious drawbacks. First, a video-phone with a ball-type mounting is unusable without a cup base to hold it. If the user ever misplaces the base, the video-phone just rolls away or adjusts to a strange angle. Second, the ball design allows the video-phone to roll or yaw. That is, the video-phone is allowed to tilt sideways which projects a crooked, and strange-looking image. Further, a ball and cup design is sometimes difficult for the user to position the ball within the cup. When the user is trying to mount the ball within the cup, it is sometimes difficult to do so because the user can't see the cup on the underside of the video-phone. The user sometimes has to feel for the cup, or look under the unit when first placing it on the cup.
Consequently, a need exists for a mounting device and method which overcome the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art.